In the case of type 2 diabetes, it is good to use pre-meal and post-meal tests to observe and learn the effect of eating habits, different meal compositions and different types of exercise on the blood sugar. You can use the tests to monitor the impact of diet control and therapeutic exercise or simply to motivate yourself.
You will receive your blood glucose meter from your treatment centre. The test strips for the meter are provided through the care supply distribution of your own wellbeing service county, based on your personal treatment plan and the guidelines of the county. You can also buy them yourself at a store selling health care products, pharmacy or online. Many diabetes associations also sell meters and test strips.
New medications do not drop blood sugar level too low
Besides good lifestyle choices, type 2 diabetes is usually treated with medication, which does not drop the blood sugar level too low in normal use. This is why it is not so important to self-monitor your blood sugar as much as before. In addition to your lifestyle choices, you can self-monitor your blood sugar to track the effect of a new medication.
Medications that formulaically increase insulin secretion may drop blood sugar too low
A long-acting medication, glimepiride formulaically increases the amount of insulin released from the pancreas and remains active for the whole 24-hour period. The dose is adjusted according to normal dietary habits and physical exercise. If one eats less, blood sugar can easily drop too low. Snack is usually needed, when you do physical exercise. Due to the risk of the blood sugar dropping too low, slightly more frequent testing is needed.
A short-acting mealtime tablet, i.e. glinide drops the blood sugar in connection with the meal. The dose is normally adjusted on the basis of the normal amount of carbohydrates in the meal using pre-meal and post-meal tests.
Once the blood sugar is within the target range and the glycated haemoglobin HbA1c is below 48–53 mmol/mol, frequency of tests can be reduced. When the blood sugar balance is good, a suitable test frequency is, for example, in the morning before breakfast and a couple of hours after the main meal 1–3 days a week.
If the morning test result is repeatedly over 7 mmol/l and the post-main meal result is over 10 mmol/l or glycated haemoglobin HbA1c rises above the target level, test frequency should be increased with pre-meal and post-meal tests or intensive monitoring.